In today's fast paced society, the ability to prepare food quickly is at a premium. The number of take out restaurants, ready to eat meals available at grocery stores, and fast food establishments are a testament to the premium placed on fast, convenient food.
One method to quickly prepare food is using food sealed in cook-in packages. There are many advantages of cook-in packaging, probably the most obvious of which is food safety. The food package remains closed until the food product is completely cooked and ready to be served. Because of this, the food does not come into contact with the cooking apparatus or the operator, eliminating the possibility of contamination. Also eliminated is cross-contamination, so all proteins and vegetables can be prepared in any order in the same apparatus. Another advantage is that clean-up of the cooking apparatus is simple and easy.
The cook-in package allows for a large variety of food products to be available, and is not limited to simple products such as hamburgers and chicken patties. Other examples include marinated meat, fish or poultry, vegetables with sauce, soups and stews, etc, with any combination of spice and flavorings. Since the products are prepared and packaged in a controlled environment, it is possible to keep the contents, and hence the flavor of the prepared food, extremely consistent.
However, the advantages of cook-in packaging are maximized when cooked using a cooking apparatus optimized for the preparation of these packages. For example, there are maximum temperature ratings, mandated by government agencies, for the material used to package the food. In addition, because the food is sealed, the cooking process must be completed without ever testing the internal temperature of the food item.
Thus, there is a need for an improved apparatus and cooking method to maximize the benefits of cook-in packaging for food products.